Atrium Carceri
Seishinbyouin

THE REVIEW

Today the room feels so stifling. In the dim light, a wall can be seen, and a red drape seems to embrace the night. But beware: a sinister faceless image turns its attention to a woman. She is afraid and covers her face. But where are we? We are exactly in the psychiatric hospital (this is the meaning of the word Seishinbyouin) opened to us by Atrium Carceri, and illustrated in the stunning artwork.
After the beautiful and unsettling Cellblock, we are faced with an album that manages to be even heavier than its predecessor. A soundtrack for our nightmares is how we could define Seishinbyouin.

But what distinguishes this album from all the other releases in the dark-ambient genre? First of all, an extreme sonic gloominess, and a use of arrangements (to be clear, we cannot judge them in a “musical” sense) that are absolutely personal.
Personally, I had never listened to anything like this. It is important to clarify that we are far from the typical ambient of Cold Meat. Listening to this album, the “harmonious” noises of Raison d’Etre will not emerge. Rather, it is the oppression that determines the cadence of the tracks. Try listening to the short “Incubation” with its choirs and the seemingly trivial riff and you will understand what I mean. It is difficult to explain what you feel, one can only resort to words like “emptiness” or “anguish” to have an idea. Or “Hidden crimes,” bloodless and desperate.
To be clear, it is extremely difficult to reach the end. Not because of the repetitiveness that some consider typical of the genre, but because of the intense emotional charge that not everyone will be able to withstand.

Who to recommend Seishinbyouin to? It's impossible to say. Industrial music lovers will be baffled by the slowness (exaggerated to the utmost) of this masterpiece. Those who instead love ambient from groups like the beautiful Elend will encounter another dimension: no ethereal melody will cross their path.
However, it is a highly recommended purchase, but not before listening to the two tracks (which, thanks to the availability of Cold Meat, are complete and of excellent quality). On the other hand, I sincerely wish to advise against even partial listening of this album to those who are emotionally fragile. Why? After all, it is not violent, it is not bloody, nor irreverent or blasphemous. Quite the opposite. But it is so sincere, so true that it could hurt you. Seriously.